Optical apparatus for projecting illuminated signs upon screens



IWITI! March 18, 1930. c. E. RANDALL ET L 1,750,785

OPTICAL APPARATUS FOR PROJECTING ILLUMINATED SIGNS UPON SCREENS Filed Dec. 13, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 18, 1930. 1,750,785

OPTICAL APPARATUS FOR PROJECTING YILLUMINATED SIGNS UPON SCREENS c. E. RANDALL ET Filed Dec. 13, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 18, 1930. c. E. RANDALL ET AL 1,750,785

OPTICAL APPARATUS FOR PROJECTING ILLUMINATED SIGNS UPON SCREENS Filed Dec. 13, 1928 a Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 18, '1930 UNITED srArss PATET FsicE GYRIL ERNEST'RANDALL AND LEONARD ROBERT THOMPSON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND,

ASSIGNORS TO JOHN CLIFFORD SAVAGE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND or'r oAL APPARAT S ron PROJECTING ILLUMINATED SIGNS. Upon SCREENS" Application filed December 13, 1928,'Seria1 No. 325,848, and in' Great Britain December 14, 1927.

The present invention relates to optical apparatus for projecting illuminated signs, designs, characters or devices upon screens with high light efiiciency. It is particularly the object of these improvements to provide an, optical combination suitable for the pro jection of characters or signs'upon distant screens, such as clouds, with the greatest possible illumination or light efficiency and definition and without the use of a' stencil or other facsimile of the desired sign which would cut off a substantial portion of the available light from the light source. The

use of the clouds as a diffusing screen is particularly difficult because of their irregular formation and the fact that the projected beams of light cannot always be normal to a mean planar surface. Moreover, the height of the clouds creates a problem in regard to obtaining sufficient illumination of the lines ofthe sign or device so that the latter shall be easily recognizable. It is essential that a sign projected on the clouds shall be of dimensions so large in proportion to theaverage irregularities, that the inevitable distortion produced by such irregularities shall not seriously affect the characters or outlines as viewed from the ground. Nevertheless, and in spite of the large areas over which the projected light must be distributed, the degree of illumination must be such that the sign is sufficiently brilliantfor all practical purposes. 7

An optical combination in accordance with these improvements is adapted for producing on the distant screen an assemblage or, disposition of illum nated areas or light spots of appropriate brilliance and conforming to anydesiredshape or configuration, the said combination, within the limits of the optically imperfect units of which it is constituted,

being productive of a surprisingly high light efliciency ason account of the factthat no.

stencil or other facsimile of the desired sign is used the whole-or substantially the whole of the available light of the light source is used in the formation of the image upon the screen. Furthermore, an-optical combination accordance with these .improvements enable an d si ed sisal cha a er 9? ani in to be composed a'nd projected uponthe screen, or any one of a number of signs, charactors or outlines to be, selectedby an operator for pro ection.

According to this invention, the optical combination comprises a projector consisting of a powerful source of light, an optical unit having the said lightat or near its focus for projecting a beam of very limited cross sectional dimensions, such as a 'searchlight.

beam, and an assemblage or mosaic of adjustable mirrors so disposed as substantially to occupy an inclined cross sectional area of such beam, the adjustment of the individual mirrors being such as to project their indij vidual beams in accordance with the desired arrangement or disposition of light spots on the distant screen.

It is not sufficientfor the purposes of this invention merely to arrange an assemblage or mosaic of mirrors set at different angles relatively to one another for the reflection of the light from a powerful sourceof light such as an electric arc, but it is necessary-to employ in the combination an optical unit, such as a concave (spherical or parabolic) mirror light source and the amount of concavity or radius of curvature of thereflector. If the light source is placed at a suitable distance from the focus of the reflector, the projected beam would reproduce,at a desired distance,

. an image of the source of light. In practice,

however, this effect is not easy to attain, for, inthe first place, the production in glassor metal of a large reflecting surface having an exact optical contour is l extremely In the second place, although eachu iitarea of thereflecting surface picks up an image of the light source,.the projection thereof is not of the same size or shape in each case owing to the changing angle of View. In the third place, owing to the large aperture or angular -.--sr i o theebi st at the astest tsereflsptor it is diflicult in practice to produce a per- 1 feet, or substantially perfect, optical contour of the projected images. Thus, the rays proceeding from the reflector to the screen not only contain a number of different angular viewsof the light source but they also suffer from a geonietricalerror' of direction of such views, so that the images pro ected from the [different p areas are not exactly. superimposed 7 Lmon' the screen and the actualcross sectional dimensions of the beam are greater thanthose I which are calculated theoretically. These'are the reasons for inefficiency and loss of inten-; sity in- Searchlight beams.

In a combination inaccordance with these" improvements, a searchlight reflector of good quality is: employed with: an electric lamp (pro ector lamp or arc) at its focus and the focus for a distan'ce of say feet. o A small piece ofsilveredplate glass mirror of,'say- 2{ x 2, introduced into the beam at ashort distance, say 2 feet, "from :the reflector ,will

projecton toya screen at a distance Of'50 feet 'a very clear and well defined orcrisp image I of the lamp filament. Moreover, the focusl ing need not be particularly accurate'for the V distance'of the screen can be increased vor decreased without series loss of; definition. The

effect thus'obtained is equivalent to that i which Would be obtained by" a stepping down of the reflector which really amounts to a cut- 1 I ting down ofthe'efl'ective reflector surface area autilize'd. IAngula-r adjustment of-the' small mirror causes corresponding displacethe beam from the reflector, it is clear that" V tion of apparatus similarfto that seenin side Y merit of" the image on the screen, and if a a mosaic" or assemblage of sma'llmirrors is a r-' ranged to occupy an inclined cross section of each one of'such mirrors will produce the same effect as that described above'with reference'tothe single mirror." In fact, each one fof' the mirrors'will pickup from a small area of thelreflector an image of the "light source and will throw such image on to the distant scr en: In: the eventcof some small areas of the reflector being lessoptically accurate oreificientthan others,this willmakelittle difl'erence tothe resultant effectlwhich isobtained byyadjusting. each one' of thezind'i-" "vidual mirrors to throw its spot of lightfon to l the predetermined line of a sign orcha'racter "to be produced; In thegeneralassemblage I or di sposition of spots of light constituting *the sign or device on the screen, the majority V V will bew'ell-definedimages of the light source willitherefor'e be of maximum brilliance elevation ;in"Figure4 f 1 and crisp outline which is of importancewhen V considering the easy recognition of a sign or character by distantly situated observers. It I v light is-placed at the correct distance from thejoptical element,-a*searchlight reflector or the equivalent, for itm st be the, aim and object to throw on to the said screen a number of images of the source oflight employed.

In order toenable theinventionto be readilyunderstood, reference is made tot-he ac-v companying drawings illustrating; suitable combinations and constructionsin accordance with'these improvements, in which draw- Figure 1 is a simple diagrani illustratingthe optical principle underlying this inventioii.

Figure 2 showsin front elevation the rela tive dimensions and axial disposition of the mirror and reflector of Figure 1, and indi-- ,cates by dotted lines a disposition of mirrors 90. Figure 3is a sectional-view upon a'larger on a mirror board;

scale of a'mirror board' 'su ch as -.is'indicated in FigureQ, themirrors above the optical axis being adjustable by'theaid' of'screws and springs'fand the mirrors below the optical;

axis being adjustableby'theaid ofscrews and 1 ball and socket mountings.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of the -adjusti ng screws for the individual mirrors. f i

Figure 4 is a more or less diagrammatic swivel mounting for the optical combination merits;

"Figure" 5c aai 'mmmaiau illustrates a 5 side elevation of a wheeled carriage with j 7 employed in accordance with these improve- 7 v i Figure 6 isa representation ,of a sign as 5 produced by an opticali combination of these improvements.

-Figure 7 is a perspective View ofac'onstrum Figure 8 is adiagrammatic'side elevation;

of a double combination, the: elements of which'inay'cooperat'e inthe production of: a. Lsingledisplay. T

Referring to Figure 1, if a powerful source in the direction of the axis AA as a sub-1 stantially" parallel beam bounded "by the suitably sh'ortj distance'from A and tilted to 'an angle of 4E5? a h wn t ii thr -W'QatQ I idott'edlinesBe Bl If a 'small planejinirror a distant screen an image of the source of liglit,the direction Z- ofthe throw being perpendicular to the axis AA. For angles of tilt less than 45, the throw of the mirror 'M will not be perpendicular to A-A but will be at angles less than 90 and in the direction of the projector A, P,- the limit being a I tilt which would cause thethrow MZ to pass just over the refiectorlt, For any degree of tilt within the limits just mentioned, it is possible also to impart a lateral tilt to the mirror M so that the throw will be to one side or the other of the plane of the paper, Thus,

I if the mirror M be mount-ed upon a universal adjustment, it is possible to direct the throw l/I--Z onto any g ven spot over a very extensive screen area. Figure 2 shows in end elevation the relation between the mirror M- "and reflector R. If a number of mirrors similar to M be arranged as a mosaic in accordance withthe rectangles in dotted lines in Figure 2, it willbe seen that the whole cross sectional area of the beam B B may be occupied by mirrors and that if each mirror is capable of independent universal adjustment, it'is possible to direct the spots of light thrown by such mirrors so that they may have a predetermined disposition.

Figure 3il-lustrates in sectional side eleva tion and to a larger scale, an assemblage or mosaic ofn'iirrors M corresponding with that indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2. Be-

' neath the axis A-A' each mirroris supported centrally by a ball and socket mount 1) on a mirror board 0 whichlis supported at an angle of". to the axis AA. At the back to the'mirror board c. A spring c holds itsj respective mirror against the adjusting to'adistant screen by such mirrors may have of each mirror M'there are three adjusting screws (l having the triangulated disposition indicated by the diagram beneath the lowermost mirror. It will be apparent that by appropriate adjustment of the screws cl it is possible to impart any desired degree of tilt to each individual mirror M within the limits hereinbefore referred to. Above the axis .A-A each one of the mirrors M is seen to be influenced. by a tension spring 0 anchored screws cl and it willbe apparent that appropriate adjustmentsof such screws will produce desired tilting adjustments of the mirrors'M for the purpose explained.

Fronithe foregoing, it will now be readily understood how it is possibleto adjust the angles of tilt of the various'mirrors so that,

for example, the, spots of light thrown 3011 .the' disposition illustrated: in Figure 6, 'in which the spots of light 7' constitute an out line of-the letters composing the'word Sun.

A s each spot of light is virtua-llya proj ected "image of the light source, it will of m xi- "inu'inb'rilliance and good definition and. a1

thoughtheillmfiinated display'bt theword is sign or design displayed is clearly readable or recognizable by distantly situated observers.

When the mirrors M of an assemblage or mosaic have been individually adjusted for the production of a given word or sign, it will be apparent that revo-luble adjustment of the mirror board 0 about the axis A-A will re sult in an alteration in the elevation and direction of the display on the distant screen. In Figures i and 7, which "show the are A and reflector R enclosed in a lamp housing It mounted on a base g, the mirror board 0 supporting the universally adjustable mirrors M is carried by a shaft j supported so that its longitudinal axis coincides with a the axis A -A. Thus, the shaft 7' may be revolubly adjustable in a bearing sleeve k supported by uprights Z on the base g. A pointer m on the shaft may work over a scale n on the sleeve is to indicate the number of degrees through which the mirror boar'dc is adjusted around the shaft 70. supportedon a turntable 0 circularlyadjustable on a bed 39 mountedon a wheeled carriage q. A pointer a on the turntable 0 indicates on a scale on the bed 29 the degree of circular adjustment of the turntable. Thus Means, such as those illustrated in Figure 5, may be adopted for quick setting or resetting ofthe mirrors M for the production of a given sign or display. The saidmirrors M, universally mounted and preferably acted upon by springs which constantly tend to cause the mirrors to assume a mean position, are provided each with three adjustment tappets or rods 8 projecting through suitable holes in the mirror boardc. A board 6 corresponding with the mirror board 0 is fitted with. a number of screws u or adjustable de- The base 9 may be setup for the provices distributed over theboard t to correspond with the distribution of the tappetsi s, overthe board 0. The screws u or other adjustable devicesj'are all set for predetermined mirror adjustments Upon applying.

a board If accurately to the back ofa mirror board 6, the devices u will engage the tappets s and impart their setting to such tappets.

In this way, all the mirrorsM onthe board 0 will be simultaneously and instantaneously adjusted for the production of ,a givensign or effect; .When theboard t is subsequently withdrawn, the spring devices,- it used,

lee

fcause' all mirrorsM tomove back; into the same'plane' ready for the application of a avoid the slow process ot-setting the mirrors Mbyjhand-for each display, for a number* of interchangeable boards t-may. be provided each having a different and ap'propriatesete ting of its screws u, As an alternative, it.

WVOlllCl bepossible toprovide cam surfacesor projections movable past the tappets sand adapted for imparting appropriate settings thereto. j In the modification illustrated in Figure 8 there are two opposedprojectorsA, R and A R n respective housn'igsfi it mounted on a common base g, Betweenthe twoprojectors thereare two mirror, boards O'IQICh set at f to the optical axis and back to back so ,thatthe saidboards enclose betweenthem an angle preferably of 90 Each of the boards, ofcourse, is' fitted'with an assemblage or mo- -saic of mirrors butit is not necessary to show'thesein this ifigurep The two boards 0 c are fixedly mounted on a commonshaft j which can be revolublyf'adj ustedaround the optical axisit'or the reasonalready ex- "plainedwith reference toiFigure 4:. This revoluble adjustment nlay be performed by v the aid of woringearing' o 1w. The base 9 may be mounted on a turntable orxon any, form of'swivelibearingfmfi Th'e operatlon of i this du iex ro ecter. is the same-as that hereinbefore described with reference to the sina {.gl'e proj ecton It is only necessary .to explain that the mirrors of the two boards a "0' can be 5 adjusted so that they co -operate for the pro- 7 .duction of a single sign ordisplayb af'dea'd black withinso that no false reflection ca-n' occur. Any suitable powerful source of light may be employed, although the electric The lamphousings, such as h. are usually 7 arcis possibly the most suitable and advani' tageous.

extensive cloud area, for example, when this- From the foregoing it will be apparent that itis possible to spread a display over a very is desired. It would not be practicalto emlploy', or-in many'casesto obtain, a-lens or reeflector having such a wide angle of spread as to enable] this to be done directly WltlI SLlC- case; With the'mirrorassem'blage or assem blages-arranged and operated as herein'be V fore described it is possible to obtain effects such as are-indicatedwithout. lloss ofbrilliancer Qi t iO .0

" By interposingsuitableoptical devicesin the path'oftherays,the illuminated sign. or. other display omay be colouredor otherwise afl'ected as desiredn. 1 ioo' v,vention. "For example, wherethe use of reflectors and mirrorsshas bce'n'referred to, these may be'siibsti'tuted,'where practically 'rs sib e g pr es; efit sti P Q iQP'l D In this :way it is possible to 'screens,consisting in projecting an approXi-.

It is possible to Imake various changes and modifications ithout departing from ithe indevices. Also, although projection bya'stationary assemblagefiot mirrors has been" described, it-Ima'y:be possibleiwithout depart- I ing'from theinvention touse moving or re-I v -volv 1ng"m1rro r assemblageswhich. produce efiects involving the principle of persistence of vision. y 7

lve claimz a a 1. Methodof projecting' signson to distant mately parallel beam oflight on to an as-.

semblage of light transmitters said assem-l blage intersecting thebeam oflight at a rel ativelyrshort distance from the projector and adjusting individual transmitters; so that light spots are thrown on to the distant screen i in predetermined di position for constituting thesign. 7 v a x a I I.

2.v Method offprojecting signs onto distant screens, consisting in projecting an approximately parallel beam ofllight on tofan assemblage of: individually adjustable mirrors said assemblage angularly. intersecting said beam of light at a relativelyfshort distance from the projector, and adjusting individual fml'rrorssofthat lightspots are thrown onfto the distant screen in Y tion for constituting the sign.

3. Method of projecting signs on predetermined disposito diam at the focus of a concave reflectorofsuch form as to pro ect an approximately parallelbeam of light and lntercepting the resultant beam 'withan assemblageof mirrors intersecting a sa d beamat a relatively short distance from, the projecton'anddisposedvltojoccupy an in I 'cl ned cross sectional-area of. said beam, the mirrors of said assemblage being individually;

adjusted for throwing light spots on toithe distant screen in predetermined disposition for constiti'itingthe-sign. A H v v A, Method ofprojectingsigns onto distant screens consistinginproducing a powerful I substantially parallel beam of light, splitting v f .13 said beam-into a'number of pencilsof light, and individually directing-said pencils 'fin'ed' substantially parallel "beam of light, and a 'mosaic of lighttransmitters disposed 1 f {forangularintersectionof'said beam, said 1 transmitters having pre determined individ ual directions ofthrow for the purpose of Y I forminga luminous sign comprised-otter comprising a plurality ofvlightgspotsi ar-;

ranged in the desired orderupon the screen lz s VWIthOUlt the use fa'stenciloitother facsimile a Of the Y f; 1 1: J, h V r o 1 6.. Opticalapparatus" for pr j ting: gign ggr-r Y 'onjtondistant screens comprising incombina =1 tion aprojector adapted for producing a deq mo screens, consisting in arranging a light source fined beam of light, and a mosaic of mirrors disposed for angular intersection of said beam, the mirrors of said mosaic being individually adjusted for the purpose forming a luminous sign comprised of or comprising a plurality of light spots arranged in the desired order upon the screen without the use of a stencil or other facsimile of the sign.

7. Optical apparatus for projection of signs on to distant screens, comprising in combination a reflector capable of producing a substantially parallel beam of reflected light focus, a powerful source of light positioned at the focus of said reflector, and a mosaic of mirrors supported for angular intersection of the beam from said reflector the mirrors of said mosaic being individually adjusted for the purpose of forming a luminous sign comprised of or comprising a plurality of light spots arranged in the desired order upon the screen without the use of a stencil or other facsimile of the sign.

8. Optical apparatus for projection of signs on to distant screens, comprising in combination a Searchlight reflector, a powerful source of light at the focus thereof, and a mosaic of individually adjustable mirrors supported at a relatively short distance from said reflector and so as to occupy an inclined cross sectional area of said beam whereby any one of a number of luminous signs composed of a plurality of spots of light arranged in a the desired order may. be formed upon the distant screen without the use of a slide or other facsimile of the desired sign.

9. Optical apparatus for projection of signs on to distant screens, comprising in combination a Searchlight projector, an assemblage of mirrors, a backing adapted for supporting said assemblage in a plane inclined to the axis of the projected beam and at a relatively short distance from the projector and individual adjustment means for said mirrors whereby any, one of a number of luminous signs composed of a plurality of spots of light arranged in the desired order may be formed upon the distant screen without the use of a slide or other facsimile of the desired sign.

10. Optical apparatus for projection of signs on to distant screens, comprising in combination a searchlight projector for producing a substantially parallel beam of light, an assemblage of mirrors for producing spots of light on said screen arranged in appropriate order for constituting said sign, a carrier adapted for supporting said assemblage in a plane inclined to the axis of the projected beam said carrier being disposed at a relatively short distance from the projector, and a revoluble mounting for said carrier permitting the latter to be revolubly adjusted around said axis for the purpose set forth.

11. Optical apparatus for projection of signs on to distant screens, comprising in combination a light projector for producing.

an approximately vparallel beam ofilight, an

assemblage of mirrors disposed soIas .tooc-' cupy an inclined cross sectional area of the projected beam, universal mountings for individual mirrors, and adjustment means operative on individual mirrors for changing their angles of tilt in said mountingswhereby any one of a number of luminous signs comprising a plurality of spots of light arranged in desired order may be formed upon said screen by appropriate adj ustmentof said mirrors and without the use of a slide or other facsimile of the desired sign,

12. Optical apparatus'for projection of bination a projector for producing a substantially parallel beam of light, and an assemblage of light transmitters disposed to occupy a cross sectional area of said beam, each transmitter being adapted for throwing on to a distant screen an image of the source of light in pre-determined relation to the images thrown by other transmitters of the assemblage.

14. Optical apparatus for projection of signs on to distant screens comprising in combination a projector for producing a substan-v tially parallel beam of light, an assemblage of light transmitters disposed to occupy a cross section of the beam, and bearing means revolubly supporting said assemblage for giving revoluble adjustment of the assemblage about the axis of said beam.

15. Optical apparatus for projection of signs on to distant screens, comprising in combination opposed projectors for producing substantially beams of light, and assemblages of mirrors each assemblage being disposed to occupy a cross section of a respective beam, each individual mirror of the assemblagescbeing adapted for throwing on to a distant screen an image of the source of light in pre-determined relation to the images thrown by other mirrors of the assemblages whereby a luminous sign composed of a plurality of spots of light may be produced upon the distant screen without the use of a slide or other facsimile of said sign.

16. Cloud sign projector comprising a base, a projector on said base, bearing means. on said base providing an axis ofrevolution coinciding with the axins of the beam of the proj'ectom and an. assemblage of mirrors Trevolubly v support ed bysaid bearing means and disposed for non-perpendicular intersoctlon v ,by the axis of saidobeam, w '17. Cloud signprojector comprising a base, a projector on said'base', bearing means on said base providing an axis: of revolutlon coinoiding with the axis of the beam' of the 7 projector, a planar carrier revolubly "supportedby said bearing means, and a mosaic I of mirrors each mirror of such mosaic being mounted for universal tilting on'said'carrior substantially asset forth. p v

, In testimony whereof, We afiix our signagturesthi-s 27th day of No ember; 1928." *CYRIL ERNEST RANDALL. "LEONARD ROBERT THOMPSON. I 

